Can diet drinks make you fat?

Soft drinks are bad news, we all know it, but if you’re going to have one then a sugar-free version is fine, right? Not quite. Before you reach for your next diet soft drink, here are the top 4 things you need to know about what you’re drinking:

1. They’re Linked to Obesity
Diet soft drinks don’t help you lose weight, in fact, recent studies have found that drinking just 2 or more cans a day increased a person’s waistline by 500%.

2. They Make Your Hangover Worse
Cocktails made with diet drinks as mixers generally get you drunker, faster. Why? Because diet drinks enter your bloodstream faster, carrying the booze along with it.

3. They Wreck Your Smile
Consider this: the pH level of battery acid is 1 and water is 7. Diet soft drinks have a pH level of 3.2 – which means it’s very acidic, and it’s this acid that works to dissolve tooth enamel. Fact: people who guzzle fizzy drinks are more likely to suffer from tooth decay and cavities.

4. They Can Cause Fertility Issues
Soft drink cans are coated with a known endocrine disruptor, BPA, which has been linked to a number of serious health conditions, from heart disease and obesity to fertility issues. As is you needed more reasons to give soft drinks the boot!

So what should you be drinking instead? When it comes to beating thirst and keeping hydrated, plain water is best, however freshly squeezed fruit juice and unsweetened herbal tea are also healthy alternatives.